Getting a deer to processing in warm weather...

[Tim]

**** TL/DR version ****
How long can I keep a 1/4'd deer in a cooler....in 85* weather....before getting it processed?
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So, most of my deer hunting experience has been up north. November/December in Michigan meant that your barn typically served as the beer fridge and would keep the Thanksgiving turkey frozen for a couple days easily. 'Cause it was cold.

When we killed a deer it was field dressed...well, in the field. Then, if we couldn't get it cut up right away we'd hang it from a beam in the barn and hope it wasn't frozen solid by the time we got to it.

So fast forward to being on a hunting lease in SC where I'm looking at 85* in the stand this weekend. My typical plan is to ensure that either I or my buddy would be able to get it to his walk in cooler (he has a restaurant) or a processor right away to not risk letting it spoil. He's not around this weekend.

So here's my dilemma...I actually have a couple days to myself starting tomorrow. I plan to hit the range in the morning and hunt all afternoon and evening. Then, I'm going to camp at the lease and to a 3 Gun Match (Clinton, Upstate 3 Gun) on Saturday, then hunt again Saturday night.

On the off chance I whack one Friday afternoon/evening, can I keep the thing in a cooler until I can get to a processor/walk in cooler on Sunday?

 

[RR]

It depends on the quality of your cooler and what temp it can maintain. If your cooler can maintain temps below 40 degrees you should be golden for that amount of time and probably more.

Put ice in bottom of cooler. I usually keep it in the bags.
Put a layer of wax paper or foil across the ice.
Put meat on top
Put thermometer in with meat
Put cooler in shade, open drain and tilt so that water will drain out.
Monitor temp.

I've kept them like this for 3-4 days at a stretch before processing myself. Usually if mine is going to the processor I take it same day, but luckily he's just down the road a couple miles.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

[Shady Grady]

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[chiefjason]

I keep mine in a cooler up to 7 days when I process my own. That's indoors. So if outside you will have to monitor it a bit more.

 

[Mightyox04]

I like to hang my deer over night. Thats why I prefer to kill them when its cold. I have kept a deer in the cooler for a week.

 

[Ghost1]

Field dress it as soon as you possibly can and bleed it good, I’d call it in from the stand and dress it immediately after. Hang it and take the meat you want and put that meat on ice as soon as you do. Don’t let the ice melt, you don’t want the meat to soak in water, it forces enzymes deeper into the meat and messes up the flavor.

 

[nchunt101]

You should be good to go. I like to freeze cheap gallon water jugs/bottles or use freezer packs instead of bag ice. Check them every few days but that last a fairly long time in a decent cooler. I also use a cheap towel to seperate the meat from the jugs. I am not sure if this would work for you but a cheap refrigerator makes a hell of a good cooler. I take the trays and drawers out and them and hang the quarters and let them air dry for up to two weeks.

 

[Ikarus1]

no difference between fish, pork, or venison. Ice doesn't mess up meat, but heat does. We cooler age our deer for a week at a time, and I've never had a bad one in warm weather.

I usually prop the end of the cooler up opposite the drain and let the blood drain off. This works as well as hanging for us, since temp swings even in November and December are common in the piedmont.